This invention relates in general to a moveable truck toolbox that is moveable along the length of the rear compartment on the top of the side walls of a pickup truck box. This invention also relates to a truck toolbox moving system for moving other types of storage containers along the length of the top of the rear compartment side walls of a pickup truck box.
Containers such as toolboxes adaptable to be stored in the rear compartment of pickup trucks are well-known. For the most part, these toolboxes are adaptable for use in the bed of a pickup truck. These prior art pickup toolboxes are generally secured to the floor or the lower portions of the side walls of the bed of the pickup truck.
Some prior art pickup toolboxes are known wherein the toolbox is removable from the pickup truck bed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,684, issued to Miller et al., discloses a system for providing a removable toolbox. In particular, this patent provides for a system for securing a box to a chassis comprising: a box having a lockable cover, side walls, and a bottom which is raised at least in part; at least two spaced parallel anchor rails affixed to said chassis to which said box may be locked, each of said anchor rails having at least one slot and a configuration which can be accommodated beneath said raised bottom portion of said box, thereby making the anchor rails inaccessible when the box is secured to the chassis; means for securing said anchor rails to said chassis; a pair of brackets, each secured to an interior side wall of said box; at least one locking rod associated with each of said brackets and vertically supported by said brackets, said rods having top and bottom angled portions, said top angled portion overlapping said bracket such that in the locked position only the tip of the angled portion contacts said bracket, said bottom angled portion capable of being inserted into said slot in said anchor rail and rotated underneath said anchor rail such that in the locked position only the tip contacts the anchor rail; a plurality of resilient mounts positioned between the bottom of said box and each of said anchor rails, whereby said resilient mounts assist in maintaining anchoring pressure between said box and said anchor rails and cushion said box against shocks when said box and chassis are transported.
There are numerous disadvantages to the prior art pickup toolboxes. First, such prior art toolboxes are generally not moveable. This is disadvantageous because users of such pickup toolboxes often need to remove the toolboxes from the pickup truck to a work site for easy access to the tools contained therein during work, or move the toolbox closer to the door of hatch of the rear compartment. Further, even in the case of prior art pickup toolboxes that are moveable, the mechanism provided for moving same is complicated, expensive to manufacture, and does not adequately address dirt and ice buildup, is difficult to use and takes up a significant amount of space in the pickup bed. In fact, the most significant disadvantage of said prior art pickup toolboxes, whether fixed to the floor of the pickup bed or moveable along the plane of said floor, is that the pickup toolbox resting on the bed and being relatively large takes up a permanent and significant part of the space in the rear compartment. This is a notable disadvantage as the rear compartment is generally used to transport cargo or other stored items, in addition to the pickup toolbox.
Therefore, there is a need for pickup container such as a toolbox that is moveable and leaves the pickup bed floor substantially free to hold cargo and/or other items. There is also need for a pickup container moving system adaptable to be connected to prior art pickup containers such as toolboxes or other containers suitable for holding bulky articles, the pickup container moving system permitting such containers to be moved within the rear compartment of a pickup or off of said pickup entirely.
In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a container for use in the rear compartment of a truck, said rear compartment having a pair of spaced apart side walls, said container comprising: a moving means adapted to register with a support means, said support means including a rail portion or protrusion being mounted adjacent to the top of said pair of side walls, said support means having a length, said moving means being adapted to register with said nail portion or protrusion and permit movement of said container along said length; and a securing means provided in combination with said support means for securing said container to said support means, said securing means being adapted to reciprocate between, a first position wherein said containers secured, to a second position wherein said moving means is moveable along said length of said support means.
In a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a container for use in the rear compartment of a truck, said rear compartment having a pair of spaced apart side walls, said container comprising: a moving means adapted to register with a support means, said support means being mounted adjacent to the top of said pair of side walls, said support means having a length, said moving means being adapted to register with said support means and permit movement of said container along said length; and a securing means provided in combination with said support means for securing said container to said support means, said securing means being adapted to reciprocate between a first position wherein said container is secured, to a second position wherein said moving means is moveable along said length of said support means.
In still a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of retrofitting a container for use in the rear compartment of a truck with a securing system for securing said container between a pair of spaced apart side walls of said rear compartment, said container comprising a pair of side walls corresponding to said pair of side walls of said rear compartment, said securing system comprising means for securing said container to said rear compartment, said method comprising the steps of: installing a plurality of shafts on each of said pair of side walls of said container; installing a plurality of rotating means on each of said plurality of shafts so as to permit rotation of said rotating means about said plurality of shafts; installing a rail portion or protrusion on each of said pair of side walls of said rear compartment, each said rail having a profile that corresponds with a profile of said rotating means, so that each of said plurality of rotating means registers with the rail adjacent to each said rotating means; mounting said container between said side walls of said rear compartment on said rails so as to permit either rotating movement of said rotating means along said rail or securing engagement of said container to said rear compartment by said means for securing said container to said rear compartment.
An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a moveable truck container that can be moved along the length of the rear compartment on top of the side walls of a truck. A further object of the present invention is to provide a system for allowing truck containers such as toolboxes to be moved along the length of the rear compartment side walls of a truck and removed entirely from the truck for efficient use of the contents thereof.
Advantages of the present invention are:
(a) The system of the present invention provides for simple and cost effective means for permitting a container such as a toolbox to be easily moved along the rear compartment side walls of a truck.
(b) The container or toolbox of the present invention provides a particular construction which in association with a corresponding support means described herein allows the container or toolbox to be easily moved along the rear compartment side walls of a truck. The container or toolbox provided is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
(c) The compartment moving system and in particular the toolbox moving system described herein leaves more cargo space in the rear compartment of a truck than in the case of prior art systems, as in accordance with the present invention, cargo or other items can be stored in the rear compartment underneath the container or toolbox of the present invention.
(d) Because the system and container disclosed herein allows the container to be moved along the side walls of the rear compartment of a truck, and for said container or toolbox to be secured at various points along said length, said container or toolbox can be secured to a particular point along said length that is particularly useful as means for holding down cargo or other items stored in the rear compartment, or as means of a workbench provided by the top surface of the compartment.
(e) This system allows for other utilization of the system for household uses and recreational uses.
(f) This system allows for retrofitting existing containers such as toolboxes for better and more varied usage of the existing space within the pickup truck transport space.
(g) This system creates an efficient and inexpensive opportunity for the single vehicle family to enjoy the benefits of covered secure transport of their goods without the addition of an additional vehicle.
(h) This system also allows for the use of tie downs in the box of a pickup truck to eliminate the movement of goods in the pickup truck transport area; thus increasing safety and decreasing the opportunity for damage to the transported goods.